Cargo handled at major ports in India soared 19.54% during April-August to 293.226 mt from 245.289 mt a year before. As per the operational performance of the dozen major ports, cargo volumes have touched pre-pandemic levels. During April-August 2019 period, these ports handled a total of 293.670 mt. In containers, the 12 major ports managed a combined 4.563 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), grew 39.88% compared to the 3.262 million TEUs handled during April-August of FY20. Of this, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s busiest state-run container gateway, managed 2.251 million TEUs from 1.545 million TEUs during the corresponding period last year, as per the Indian Ports Association. Chennai Port Trust managed 6,58,000 TEUs during April-August from 4,39,000 TEUs a year earlier. V O Chidambaranar Port Trust managed 3,36,000 TEUs during the five months of FY22 from 2,86,000 TEUs a year before. Cochin Port Trust handled 2,89,000 TEUs during April-August compared to 2,22,000 TEUs a year before. Thermal and steam coal shipments grew 43.08% to 41.396 mt from 28.933 mt, while coking coal and others rose by 25.54% to 21.195 mt from 16.883 mt a year before. Shipments of iron ore comprising pellets through the 12 ports dipped 8.12% to 25.075 mt from 27.291 mt last year after China cut steel production, impacting iron ore exports from India. Finished fertiliser shipments decreased 24.71% during April-August to 3.092 mt from 4.107 mt, while raw fertiliser managed at the 12 ports surged 10.69% to 3.230 mt from 2.918 mt a year before. In overall cargo, Deendayal Port Trust, India’s top state-owned port by cargo volumes, managed 52.677 mt during April-August from 43.665 mt a year before, clocking an increase of 20.64%. Paradip Port Trust reported a rise of 14.35% to 42.751 mt of cargo. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust reported a surge of 40.23% to 30.447 mt of cargo from 21.682 mt a year before. Visakhapatnam Port Trust recorded a growth of 6.15% and handled 28.599 mt of cargo compared to 26.942 mt during the same period last year. Mumbai Port Trust recorded a growth of 16.36% and handled 23.455 mt compared to 20.158 mt a year before. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust posted a surge of 9.5% and handled 22.888 mt compared to 20.092 mt during last year. Chennai Port Trust handled 19.255 mt compared to 14.426 mt, recording a rise of 33.47%. Kamarajar Port Ltd handled 15.954 mt from 9.119 mt, recording an increase of 74.95%. New Mangalore Port Trust handled 15.212 mt, recorded 6.58% growth compared to 14.273 mt last year. Cochin Port Trust handled 12.878 mt, recorded a 28.23% increase compared to the 10.043 mt during the corresponding period last year. Mormugao Port Trust recorded a growth of 9.66% and handled 8.387 mt compared to 7.648 mt. Image Source Also read: Cargo traffic at govt-run ports declines